Market Farming Basics

If you're thinking about, or just getting started in direct market farming, welcome to the business! It's a great way to make a livelihood. Being a farmer means working outdoors, being your own boss, meeting challenges and surmounting them, caring for a piece of land, and, most of all, doing the important work of feeding people.

All over the United States and Canada, families are making a decent income from direct marketing of food and flowers. Their businesses range from the 1-acre market garden that provides extra income for retirement or college, to the 100-acre vegetable farm that supports several generations. Market farmers come from all walks of life -- from conventional farms, of course, but also from urban occupations with no farming experience.

Market farming is also unique in that it doesn't take a lot to get started -- a few acres, some basic equipment, a love of growing things, an intellectual curiosity, and a genuine enjoyment of hard work.

The articles below were created in a collaboration between Growing for Market and Johnny's Selected Seeds to introduce you to some of the basic information you need to know to succeed as a market gardener.

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These articles have recently been added to Growing for Market Online

Keep Flowers from Wilting Aug 1, 2010: Cut flowers are prone to wilting in summer, especially when they're on display at a farmers market or farm stand on a hot day. And nobody wants to buy a bunch of wilted flowers. To prevent premature wilting, follow good harvest and post-harvest procedures. Here are the basics.

Food Safety and the Heat Aug 1, 2010: Pathogenic bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, so pay particular attention to food safety when harvesting, washing, packing, and storing produce in the summer. The guiding principle in food safety should be to prevent pathogens from getting onto your produce in the first place. A set of standards known as Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) is designed to do just that.

Shading Crops Aug 1, 2010: In hot climates around the world, vegetables and cut flowers are grown under shade cloth to reduce heat and light intensity, resulting in better quality and higher yields.

Heat tolerance in plants Aug 1, 2010: "Is it hot enough for you?"
You've probably heard that question more than a few times during the dog days of summer. If you're like most growers, your main concern is not for yourself (you can get out of the heat!) but for your crops. Most vegetables, even those we think of as heat-loving vegetables, don't do well when temperatures soar into the 90s and stay there. In this article, we'll focus on production, harvest and postharvest solutions to summer's heat.

Display Your Products with Purpose Jul 1, 2010: There’s both art and science to displaying produce at a market. A beautiful display catches the eye of customers and brings them to your stand. Then the science of selling takes over and makes it easy for customers to purchase your products. Here are some of the rules of farmers market display that will help you sell more:

Manage Your Brand Jul 1, 2010: Branding is not limited to big companies with a lot of money to spend on advertising; even the smallest business has a brand that can be managed to increase profits. Although farmers don’t usually think of themselves as having a brand, many of the concepts used in brand management in other sectors can be applied to agricultural businesses. Here are some ways to think about developing and managing your brand:

Sell more at farmers markets Jul 1, 2010: There's never been a better time to be a fresh market grower. Farmers markets are thriving and customers are enthusiastic about locally grown food. This is the year to take advantage of the local-food trend and make more money marketing your produce.

Extend your selling season with storage vegetables Jun 9, 2010: Thanks to the local foods movement, many people want to buy locally grown vegetables long after the first frost, even after farmers markets close for the winter. In response, many market farmers are finding ways to sell produce throughout the winter. CSA winter shares, home delivery, and indoor winter markets are potential venues for cold-season sales.
Storage vegetables are an important component of winter marketing. More than a dozen types of vegetables can be held for 30 days or longer — some as long as six months — given appropriate conditions.

Reprinted from JSS Advantage November 2009.

Weed Control Stratagies Jun 1, 2010: Here are some sobering statistics as you begin the weeding season on your farm or market garden: A Minnesota study found that a square foot of soil, 6 inches deep, contained from 98 to 3,068 viable weed seeds. Many seeds remain viable for decades; Jimsonweed has a 90 percent germination rate after 40 years in the soil and field bindweed seeds are viable for more than 50 years. All those seeds are just sitting there, in what is known as the “weed seed bank,” waiting for favorable conditions that will allow them to germinate.

Taking Care of Tomatoes Jun 1, 2010: If you’re like most growers, tomatoes are one of your most important crops, either because you make the most money from them or because your customers demand them. Such an essential crop deserves special treatment to enhance flavor, appearance, and yield. The best way to improve your tomatoes is to prune and train them. Here’s why.